Automatic elevator hatch-cover.



PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

l T. WALKER. AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR HATGHC'OVBR.

APPLICATION lFILED DEO. 29, 1903.

I I I UNITED STATES Patented January 31, 1905# I PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS- WALKER,l OF VPORTLAND, OREGON.

AUTOMATIC ELEvAToR HATCH-COVER.

srncrnrcnrron forming para af Letters Patent No. 781,477, dated January31, 1905.V i'

i Application led December 29,1903. Serial No. 187,056.

' Covers; and I do hereby declare .the following to be a full, clear,and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable othersskilled-in I the art to which it appertains to make an'duse the same. vv a v My invention relates to the automatic covering and uncovering, bymeans of hatch-covers, of the hatch or floor openings of an ele- I`vator-shaft to prevent accidents and vthe rapid spreading of fire.. Y

The alternate arrangement of stationary shoulders extending over thesides lof the hatch-covers and which are to rest on the 2Q cross-beamsformingthe hatch-openings is such that they will' allow the passingoff-the hatch-covers belonging to openings below. As such an arrangementof extended shoulders is limited, someof thehatch-covers may be providedwith counteracting hinges, which when .released of the weight of theother hatchcovers resting thereon will push out latched4 shoulders overthesides of the hatch-covers for resting on the cross-beams forming thehatch#A Y openmgs.

When not in use, the hatch-covers are stowed away by the elevator-car inconsecutive order near the ceiling of theelevator-v shaft, where theyrest on the shoulders of-pivoted supports. To relieve theV hatch-coversready for use, the shoulder parts of the said supports are pushed backby adjustable ley ver-arms extending over two opposite sides oftermediate guide-posts e f lconstitute the framework` of theelevator-shaft, whereas Y,cross guide-bar g', with the lever-boxes ZZfastened thereto, shows the top part of the elevator-car, with cabletraveling in the elevav tor-shaft.y

' t represents one lof the hatch-covers pro- 55 vided with extendingstationary shoulders h2 for resting on hatch-opening beams Z'Z andfastened, as shown, onto the platform of t, which has notches ZL' toreceive and slide on thetongu'ese and f of the guide-posts e and 6o f.All theb hatch-covers canl be stowed away in the top part of theelevator-shaft, where they rest on the shoulders jaof the turnablesupports y', which are pivoted with their sides to the insides ofthecorner-posts Z Z) c Z at j- 65 and held in the position required by thesprings jf. The inner edges of the supports j are provided with grooves3'2, referred to hereinafter.k A

The hatch-cover 7c, having laced shoulders 7o 7c3, is constructed asfollows: Two latch-shoulde'rs les can becmade `to move back and forward,so they will overlap the sides of hatch-J cover Zt, that they may reston cross-pieces it', bymeans of the counteracting hinges 7a4, fas 75tened at "767 to slides and at 7cv to stationary cross-piece Zelo, Zasserving as a guide for shoul- -ders 7c3. The drawing shows thelatch-shoulder 4csextendeol over hatch-cover aready to 'rest voncross-piece-.z'xc and shows notch le, which 8O receives the tongues a'andf of guide-posts e and f. f When lthe hatch-covers Zt rest onhatch-covers 7e, the counteractinghinges Zr* are pressed down bythatweight and shoulders les are drawn back to be flush with the edgesof hatch-coverc; but when all the hatchcovers @have been distributed andthe hinges 7c* are thus relieved of any weight thereon the springs 705raise them, and therebyforce the shoulders 7c3 out from the edges ofsaid covers 90 le, ready to rest on the hatch-opening crosspieces ZZ,their notches Zr -engaging the tongues e f' in the same mannerasshoulders h2 of hatch-covers ZL rest on their cross-pieces e' QJ.

The covers L have notches /1/,which engage the 95 Y I tongues e and f.The cross-piece g being notched out at g to slide on guide-posts e and fforms the top guide-bar of the elevator-car, whereto the cable wisfastened. This guidebar ghas two lever-boxes `Z Z securely attached toitat right angles, which lever-boxes ZZ contain the levers m, providedwith operatinglever-arms m2. In the drawing the righthandlever-box Z isopened, showing the lever m with its two operating-arms m2 thrown outand extended over the sides of the elevatorcar, ready for operation. Thelever m is pivoted in the middle part of the bottom piece of box Z,allowed to slide on its slot lmf for a longitudinal movement, wherebyand by the side movement the operating-arms m2, being properly pivotedat m3 and m4, are extended for operation or drawn back. This levermechanism is securely held in place by the cover Z2, hinged to bottompiece Z at Z3, and by dowelpin m6, entering at mi. rIhis dowel-pin m isalso used when cover Z2 is closed to check the forward movement ofthelever m. When the elevator-car is ascending to lift the hatchcovers Zt'and /L otl: of the shoulders for' supports j', the lever-boxes Z Z willstrike the crosspieces It or" the hatch-cover Zt', raising said cover,and with it the hatch-cover ZL, the same resting firmly on the top ofthe elevator-car, while the extended lever-arms m2 will strike thesupports y', traveling in grooves f2, as previously referred to, thusturning and holding the supports j back on their pivots 7" until thehatch-covers le and ZL, now loaded on the elevator-car, have passedwhile descending to be distributed over their respective hatch- Ways,when springs yf press the supports j back into their receivmg position.It' it is desired to clear the hatchways of their hatchcovers Zi and ZL,the lever-arms m2 are drawn back and the elevator-car ascends, slowlylifting the hatch-covers Zt and L one after the other off of thecross-pieces z' 7,', where they have been resting, and while pressingthe supports 40 y' back with their sides the shoulders 7'3 of supportsj' are pushed in under the last of the hatch-covers by means of springs7"1 as soon as the edge of shoulder f3 has been passed.

Now the above specication shows that by sending the elevator-car up inthe elevatorshaft from any floor the hatch-covers can be taken off ofthe supports automatically and distributed consecutively over thedifferent hatch-openings, and in the same manner the hatch-covers areremoved off of the hatchopenings and replaced on the shoulders of thesupports, and then the elevator-car comes down again to the lower ioor.

I am aware that prior to my invention hatch-covers for hatchways inelevator-shafts have been made. I therefore do not claim such acombination broadly; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The combination with an elevator-shaft, ot' a guide-bar of a car, ahatch-cover adapted to be carried by said guide-bar, arranged in theupper part of the elevator-shaft, adapted to engage and retain saidcover, pivoted arms arranged in the upper part of the shaft, havinggrooves on one side, and levers, carried by said guide-bar, having theirends adapted to engage and slide in said grooves to disengage said coverfrom said arms.

2. The combination, with an elevator-shaft, of a guide-bar of a car, ahatch-cover adapted to be carried by said guide-bar, spring-pressedarms, arranged in the upper part of the elevator-shaft, adapted toengage and retain said cover, said arms having grooves on one side, andlevers carried by said guide-bar, having their ends adapted to engageand slide in said grooves to disengage said cover from said arms.

3. The combination, of an elevator-shaft, a hatch cover having laterallyprojecting and slidably-movable strips adapted to engage ledges in theshaft, and means for retracting said strips to permit the movement ofsaid cover.

4. The combination with an elevator-shaft, of a hatch-cover, havinglateral projecting strips, said strips having secured thereto blocksadapted to slide in grooves in the cover, hinge connection between saidblocks and cover, and springs normally holding said hinges in suchposition that said shoulders will be extended.

In testimony whereotl I aiix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS NVALKER.

Witnesses GEORGE LANGFORD, R. RUuTnR.

